Subaru's freshened Crosstrek is getting a modest price increase for 2021, highlighted by a bigger engine option, as the popular model prepares to battle more entrants in the subcompact crossover segment.
The latest Crosstrek, featuring an updated front bumper and grille, starts at $23,295, including shipping, for the base trim with a six-speed manual transmission, an increase of $140 over the 2020 base model. The starting price of the base model with a continuously variable transmission also rises by $140 to $24,645, including shipping.
Of the 19 nameplates that make up the subcompact crossover segment, only the Crosstrek and Hyundai Venue still offer a manual transmission.
Pricing for the mid-range Premium trim starts at $24,345 with the manual transmission and $25,695 with the CVT, including shipping. Both increases are also $140 over the 2020 model year's pricing.
The Crosstrek Sport trim, which is new to the nameplate with the 2021 update, starts at $27,545, including shipping. The Sport trim is powered by the same 2.5-liter engine with 182 hp and 176 pound-feet of torque found in the Forester compact crossover, Legacy midsize sedan and Outback midsize crossover. For the Crosstrek, the larger engine equates to a power increase of 30 hp and 31 pound-feet of torque over the now base 2.0-liter engine.
Subaru has rolled out a Sport trim on the Impreza sedan and hatchback, the Legacy and the Forester. However, in those models the Sport trim essentially is an appearance package with no additional performance increases.
On the Crosstrek, the Sport trim adds wheel arch moldings that extend onto the rear doors, dark gray 17-inch wheels and a gunmetal finish for the grille, side mirrors and badges. Inside, the Sport trim comes with two-tone StarTex lined seats that have a water-repellent urethane material. Subaru introduced StarTex seats on the Outback Onyx Edition XT trim in 2019. The Crosstrek Sport's interior also features yellow stitching and yellow trim throughout.
At the top of the Crosstrek lineup is the Limited trim, which also gets the 2.5-liter engine for 2021, and now starts at $29,045, including shipping, an increase of $640 over the 2020 model.
All Crosstreks with a CVT continue to be equipped with Subaru's EyeSight suite of safety features as standard equipment that now includes adaptive cruise control and lane centering.
Through June, Subaru of America has sold 45,732 Crosstreks in the U.S., a decline of 22 percent, second in the segment to the Chevrolet Trax, which generated sales of 50,708 units, according to the Automotive News Data Center.
The Crosstrek was the best-selling subcompact crossver in 2019 with U.S. sales of 131,152 units, a decline of 9.2 percent.
New or redesigned entrants from Mazda, Kia, Buick, Chevrolet and Hyundai have joined the subcompact crossover segment in recent months. U.S. sales of subcompact crossovers slipped 5.8 percent in the first half, demonstrating far more resiliency than the overall market decline of 24 percent.
The updated Crosstrek is set to arrive at retailers this summer, Subaru said.
